Chapter 0831: So-Called Freedom

Big shots have their way of life, and little people have their survival skills.

Just like Zhao Fusheng had watched so many spy dramas in his previous life, he simply couldn't agree with the undercover images portrayed in those films and TV shows.

Frequenting high-end places at every turn, handsome men and beautiful women brandishing guns—ha, is that what you call an undercover agent?

In the social circles Zhao Fusheng moved in, only his former high school classmate Chen Shijie had worked undercover. In Chen Shijie's words at a certain class reunion, all those undercover agents depicted in movies and TV dramas nowadays were utter bullshit.

The most important thing for an undercover agent is not to be exposed.

Obtaining intelligence and passing it back while ensuring one's own safety and avoiding exposure—that's what an undercover agent should do.

In short, being an undercover agent requires boldness and carefulness, accurate judgment, strong comprehension and memory, good health, and you can't even talk in your sleep.

In short, a qualified undercover agent would not easily choose to expose themselves.

Zhao Fusheng had occasionally mentioned this to Zhang Qian, and Zhang Qian also found it very reasonable—it was basically the same as what he had learned in the military.

The reason I thought of this was because Zhao Fusheng had recently been reminded of the TV drama Lurk. As a phenomenal work that sparked a craze for spy dramas, the author probably hadn't even started writing it yet.

"Should I keep an eye on it and buy the rights when the time comes?" Zhao Fusheng mused silently, but his mind wandered, and he didn't notice Gao Qun's meaningful glance from not far away.

Today's dinner party was organized by Gao Qun, naturally to celebrate the official approval of Conquer.

Of course, it was also to strengthen ties with the main members of the crew.

Relationships between people are actually built this way. Did anyone really think that just because they collaborated on a project, they became friends or acquaintances?

What a joke. Knowing someone isn't just about knowing their name or having a meal together and calling them a friend.

In this world, baring your heart to anyone is a very risky thing.

Sometimes, when Zhao Fusheng saw people living with too much intensity, he always felt uncomfortable, as if they were constantly reminding him to think about how to live.

In Zhao Fusheng's eyes, most of the people at the dinner table were living with great intensity.

"Tell me, why are more and more people using computers these days?" Jiang Shan, sitting next to Gao Qunshu, said with a smile to everyone: "My assistant, whenever she has free time, sits in front of the computer chatting. I don't know who with, and how she has so much to say."

"That's what they call fashion," Gao Qun said with a laugh.

"Yeah, especially those young people, always hanging out on some forum. I'm getting old..." Zhao Baogang said with a smile.

"Actually, it has its benefits. I see a lot of people discussing social injustices." A friend of Zhao Baogang's, a certain big shot surnamed Liu who reportedly put in a lot of effort to get the approval this time, said.

This man was Liu Xiaoyao. According to Ye Jing, he was of impeccable background—his father and grandfather had strong influence in the propaganda department. It was largely thanks to him that "Conquest" had passed the review.

Clearly, this guy was a bit of a radical, otherwise he wouldn't have said such things.

Zhao Fusheng sighed but said nothing.

This was actually a small gathering of the big shots from the Beijing circle. As the host, Gao Qun was just an outsider, and Sun Honglei didn't even dare to speak, silently pouring wine for the big shots.

Among those present, he was the youngest and had the most special status, so most of the time he kept quiet.

"Fusheng, what do you think?"

Even if Zhao Fusheng didn't speak, it didn't mean he would be forgotten. Liu Xiaoyao soon noticed him and asked.

Knowing that the man meant no harm and simply wanted to deepen their connection, Zhao Fusheng smiled and said calmly, "The internet is a new thing, so naturally it appeals to young people. But the atmosphere on forums is actually not good—blind impulsiveness, foolish righteousness. Those people's so-called justice in front of their computers costs nothing, and criticizing others only requires a click. As the saying goes, if a person is radical at twenty, he'll amount to nothing. If he's still radical at thirty, he'll achieve nothing. Don't judge others easily, because you haven't lived their life. Living your own life well is more important than anything."

Pausing, as if afraid Liu Xiaoyao might think he was being sarcastic, Zhao Fusheng added, "Nowadays people love to talk about worldviews, as if that makes them high-end and classy. But the problem is, they haven't even seen how big the world is—what kind of damn worldview are they talking about?"

"The most obvious example: some people think our leading cadres are becoming more corrupt and long for the days of the sixties and seventies. But these people have no idea that corruption and embezzlement are not limited to any era. Moreover, the days when we couldn't get enough to eat and lived in constant uncertainty are definitely not something we want to go back to. They're just venting their emotions without caring about right or wrong." Zhao Fusheng said meaningfully.

His words immediately resonated with several middle-aged men, who had all lived through that era and had more say about those youthful years than anyone else.

Watching them discuss, Zhao Fusheng shook his head inwardly. There were some things he couldn't say because these people hadn't yet realized that the rise of the internet would become another form of supervision.

Zhao Fusheng couldn't offer any judgment on such a future, because in the era he had lived in, freedom and democracy were words crazily advocated by many. Some even openly claimed that foreign officials were more incorruptible than domestic ones and demanded that all leading cadres disclose their assets.

But in fact, those who said this didn't understand how foreign officials actually lived or how they became officials, nor what kind of life domestic cadres led.

These people simply felt that since they had a channel to speak out on the internet, they should say what they wanted.

Say what they wanted.

It seemed full of freedom, but in reality?

People cannot exist in society alone; everyone must take responsibility for their words. Yet the internet has made this sense of responsibility scarce.

A person can sit in front of a computer and freely express their opinions, slander others, and share their so-called insights without ever considering whether every word and sentence might harm someone else.

Is such so-called freedom really appropriate?